So, Altoids aren't just for your breath any more, huh?
I think you should have a column for what we can design into an Altoids box. That would be fun. I can see it now, "Engineers design first home generator in an Altoid box. Altoid stock rises fast!"

Charles, you're right on the mark! The LEGO NXT has wealth of free programning tools like NXC (NXT Not Quite C) and Python. The traditional programming tools like LabView, VB, and Visual C allow rapid prototyping of a variety of cool and innovative gadgets only limited by one's imagination.

A few weeks ago, Ford Motor Co. quietly announced that it was rolling out a new wrinkle to the powerful safety feature called stability control, adding even more lifesaving potential to a technology that has already been very successful.

It won't be too much longer and hardware design, as we used to know it, will be remembered alongside the slide rule and the Karnaugh map. You will need to move beyond those familiar bits and bytes into the new world of software centric design.

People who want to take advantage of solar energy in their homes no longer need to install a bolt-on solar-panel system atop their houses -- they can integrate solar-energy-harvesting shingles directing into an existing or new roof instead.

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